Alpena County Service Plan

Informational Resources

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Things EVERYONE Need to Know

An informed caller is 9-1-1’s best caller. It’s important that you know how to help 9-1-1 help you. In an emergency, seconds matter, so being knowledgeable and prepared can make all the difference.

Know WHEN to call 9-1-1. 9-1-1 is for emergencies only. You should only be dialing 9-1-1 if someone is hurt or in danger, or if you are in immediate need of police, fire, or medical assistance. If you aren’t sure if your situation is an emergency, you should err on the side of safety and call 9-1-1 and let the expert who answers your call make the decision whether to send help or not.

Know WHEN NOT to call 9-1-1. Don’t call 9-1-1 just because you burned dinner and your guests are arriving any minute, or because you are late for a meeting and need help finding an address. While those situations may count as emergencies for you, they aren’t for public safety. Inappropriate use of the 9-1-1 system wastes resources and ties up the lines at the 9-1-1 center, and nobody wants to be on hold when they are in the middle of a real crisis. Not to mention that in most states harassing or making prank calls to 9-1-1 is a crime, and you don’t want law enforcement showing up at your door.

Know the capabilities of the device you are using. 9-1-1 can be contacted from pretty much every device that can make phone calls (traditional landline, cell, VoIP), but the callback and location information that accompanies your call to the 9-1-1 center can vary drastically among technologies and between geographic regions. 9-1-1 and telecommunications professionals are hard at work to make sure 9-1-1 works the same on all devices in the future, but until then it is your job to be knowledgeable about benefits and limitations associated with various technologies.Contact your service provider(s) for more information.

Know where you are. This is probably the most important information you can provide as a 9-1-1 caller, so try to be aware of your surroundings. Make a real effort to be as detailed as possible. If you are outside and don’t know the street address, take a look around and try to find landmarks or cross streets. If you are inside a large building or one with multiple levels, you can help emergency services by letting them know which floor you areon, which apartment you are in, etc.

Stay calm. When you are on the phone with 9-1-1, you are their eyes and ears. Even though you may want to, try not to panic. If you are crying or yelling, it can be hard for the 9-1-1 operator to understand you. If you are able to stay strong, pull yourself together, and answer all of the 9-1-1 operator’s questions, the faster they can get the right services to your location.

Never hang up. You may have called 9-1-1 by accident, or your situation may have resolved itself, but it is important to let the 9-1-1 operator know this. If you end the call abruptly, the folks at the 9-1-1 center are going to assume that something has gone very wrong and will either call you back or send help anyway. This will take away from the 9-1-1 center’s ability to take calls and dispatch services to on-going emergencies, so make sure the9-1-1 call taker tells you it is ok to disconnect before you hang up. And keep in mind that the call taker can dispatch res ponders to your location without disconnecting from the call, so, until you are instructed to do otherwise, make sure to hold the line so that you can provide any necessary information or assistance to the 9-1-1 operator.

Things KIDS Need to Know

In an emergency, the best thing that you can do is tell your parents, a teacher, or another adult you trust right away. But if no one is around you may have to call someone else for help. Here is what you need to know about where to find help and how you can make sure it gets to you FAST:

Know what happens when you call 9-1-1. After you dial, the person who picks up on the other end will be someone who works at a 9-1-1 center and whose job it is to help you. They may ask you to do things to help or ask you questions. It is important that you follow their directions as best you can. They will send someone to wherever you are and stay on the phone with you until everyone is safe.

Never hang up. Even if you called 9-1-1 by accident, or if you think the problem has gone away, it is important that you stay on the phone until the call taker tells you it is alright to hang up. It is the call taker’s job to make sure that you are OK and that help has gotten to whoever needs it. In situations where you aren’t able to talk or have to leave, keep the phone off the hook so that the 9-1-1 operator can hear what is going on in the room. Most times, they will be able to use the computers at the 9-1-1 center to find your address.

Know when to call 9-1-1. You should only call when someone or something is hurt or in danger and you need a police officer, a firefighter, or a doctor.

Memorize important stuff about you and your family. Being able to tell the 9-1-1 operator things like your address, your parents’ names, and your phone number will get help to you faster.

Know where you are. If you aren’t at home and don’t know the address where you are look around and try to find a street sign or a building with a name on it so that the 9-1-1 operator knows your exact location.

Try not to be scared. When you call 9-1-1, you become the eyes and ears for the call taker. Help will get to you much faster if you stay calm and can tell the call taker everything that is happening and can answer all the call taker’s questions.

Know what 9-1-1 is. 9-1-1 is the phone number you can call from any phone when you need help or you see someone who needs help right away.

Know what 9-1-1 is. 9-1-1 is the phone number you can call from any phone when you need help or you see someone who needs help right away.

Quick Links

History of Alpena

Organized February 7, 1857
What is now the City of Alpena was then called Fremont, and at the first Election
of County Officers in November of 1857. In February 1859, the name was changed to Alpena.

The Alpena County Courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Historic Places. A Michigan Historical Marker was officially dedicated honoring the Courthouse on May 5, 2000.

Statement

The County Government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services.

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